You Were My Sl*ve - Chapter 57

“Samira was proud and deeply arrogant. She could never accept the fact that a high noble like herself had fallen to the status of a slave.”

Samira had despised everything about Pharsion. Her contempt for the kingdom was absolute. The only reason she had thrived there was her exceptional ability to mask her true feelings and maneuver through delicate situations. She had skillfully exploited Elona’s affection, securing herself a comfortable position while waiting for the perfect chance to escape.

“But there’s no need to tell Elona any of this. It would only hurt her.”

With that decision, Kazan resolved to bury the truth about Samira forever.

As he stepped into the main palace, his thoughts shifted.

Even though the civil war was over, Kazan’s battles were far from finished.

*

Alone in her chambers, Elona lay on the bed, trying to rest. Her mind, however, was a storm of thoughts.

“If I’d told Zahhak the truth, he might have killed me on the spot.”

She rubbed her waist where Zahhak had briefly grabbed her. Even though it was just for a moment, the area still ached, as if a bruise was forming beneath her skin.

“But what if Zahhak realizes I lied? He’ll never forgive me. And Irid is still lurking in this palace.”

Danger was everywhere. She shuddered as she recalled the moment she had almost died from the Kiraleli flowers’ poison.

“I have to learn everything about Ashatra. Its geography, its politics, and how to gather enough money. Once I find an opportunity, I’ll escape somehow. It’s the only way to protect my life and clear Kazan’s misunderstanding.”

If she lost her life, it would all be over. She wouldn’t just fail to resolve Kazan’s mistrust—she’d lose him forever.

“I’ll go to Pharsion and find the nobles who remember that trial. If I can convince even one of them to testify to my innocence… just one…”

Determined to escape, Elona began methodically planning her next moves. She had no intention of leaving Kazan behind for good. All she wanted was to regain her freedom and prove to him that she hadn’t betrayed him. Only then could she face him with her head held high.

“First, I need to get out of this palace. How can I slip away on my own?”

The challenge seemed impossible from the very start. But Elona stubbornly sought every possibility.

And then, an opportunity came in a completely unexpected way.

*

“Marriage is one of life’s great milestones, and it’s a major celebration for noble families,” Miriam said one day, her tone unusually cheerful.

Elona found herself seated at a desk, staring in confusion at the large book Miriam had opened in front of her.

“What is this book?” Elona asked, still trying to understand what was happening.

“It’s a genealogical record of Ashatra’s noble families. This is the updated edition, revised after the civil war, so all the information is current.”

Miriam turned to the first page, which displayed the Omar family. The name “Samira Omar” was written beside Zahhak Omar in faint gray text, a somber reminder of her death.

Suppressing the bitter emotions rising in her chest, Elona asked Miriam, “Why are you suddenly showing me this?”

“The heir of the Horta family is getting married in ten days. You’ll need to attend the wedding, so you should familiarize yourself with the guests.”

“I have to go?” Elona asked hesitantly. “Does that mean His Highness will be attending?”

Miriam nodded as Elona skimmed through the book and turned to the Horta family page. The Hortas had many children, and their family tree spanned an enormous number of pages.

Pointing at the angular crest beside the family name, Elona asked, “What does this symbol mean?”

“It represents Kalima, the god of earth and strength. The Horta family owns numerous mines throughout Ashatra. They’re a wealthy and ancient house.”

“With so much money and so many relatives, their home must be lavish. But I haven’t seen anything like that from the palace…”

“That’s because the Horta family doesn’t live in Perma. They all reside in Rabina.”

“Rabina?”

“It’s a city. If you travel northeast from here, you’ll reach it.”

Elona’s heart began to race as she processed this information. Rabina is outside of Perma.

If she attended the wedding, it would mean leaving the palace!

Trying to maintain her composure, she asked Miriam, “So I’ll be accompanying His Highness on this trip? How long will it take?”

“If we go to Rabina, it’s common to stay overnight. But since His Highness is so busy, I’d expect we’ll leave early in the morning and return late at night.”

One day. That was all the time she would have.

But even a single day was an extraordinary opportunity for Elona. She couldn’t afford to let it slip away.

“Lady Miriam, I’ll study hard. Could you also show me any other books about Rabina? I’m curious about the city.”

“Oh, of course! Starting today, you’ll also need to learn the wedding procedures and pick out an outfit. There’s so much to do!”

From that day on, Miriam brought Elona several books and a variety of clothes. While Miriam seemed most excited about dressing Elona up, Elona was entirely focused on the books.

“Thank goodness. There are books with maps in them. I’ll cut out all the maps I need and take them with me.”

Rabina was a sizable city with multiple gates. Elona meticulously planned the quickest escape route and calculated how much money she would need. Being a slave, she wasn’t given any money, so she had to rely on whatever valuables she could collect.

“I need to take anything small but valuable.”

She began stealing small items from the kitchen, such as silver utensils, and pried tiny gemstones from flowerpots and the mosaics on the walls.

“I’ll also need clothes—something that will fully cover me once I take off my formal gown.”

The veil Miriam had given her to protect her from the sun wasn’t enough to conceal her entirely.

One day, during a visit to the temple for treatment, Elona took the opportunity to speak to Urt, the priestess, in private.

“A robe? Like the ones we wear?” Urt asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, Priestess. My skin color stands out whenever I visit here, and I feel like it’s causing unnecessary attention. If my appearance were covered, wouldn’t that make it more comfortable for the worshippers to focus on their prayers?”

Elona’s explanation wasn’t entirely untrue. The followers of Ru had long expressed displeasure about a woman from Pharsion frequenting their temple. Urt, being someone who valued decorum, found Elona’s suggestion reasonable.

“Hm. Well, since you’ve made such a point of it, I’ll give you an old one. Wear it when you visit.”

“Thank you, Priestess,” Elona replied gratefully.

With that, her clothing dilemma was solved. Elona worked tirelessly to finalize her escape plan.

“I’ve secured valuables, so I’ll buy a horse at the market near the city gates. Once I leave Rabina, I need to head toward a major city—small villages will make me stand out as a traveler.”

Finally, her preparations were complete.

On the morning of the wedding, Miriam did her utmost to make Elona look beautiful.

“No matter what, you won’t outshine the bride, of course, but you’ll look perfect as His Highness’s attendant. Before getting out of the carriage, add another layer of color to your lips. Did you pack everything you need?”

“Yes, Lady Miriam. Don’t worry.”

Elona struggled to lift her heavy bag while pretending it was light. Instead of makeup, handkerchiefs, snacks, and water, the bag contained the robe, the stolen jewels, and some water.

She wrapped her white veil around her face and gave Miriam a bright smile.

“I’ll be on my way now, Lady Miriam.”

*

It had been a long time since Kazan had been invited to a noble wedding. He quickly refreshed his memory of the procedures and finished preparing. Unlike during festivals, he wore a simple indigo outfit, exuding understated elegance as he prepared to leave the palace.

“Your Highness, are you heading out now?”

“Tortan…? What brings you to the palace at this hour?”

Crossing the wide hall on the first floor of the main palace, Kazan stopped when he spotted the towering general approaching him swiftly.

“Forgive me for interrupting as you’re leaving, but I have urgent news to report.”

“There’s no need to rush. What’s the matter?”

“It concerns the matter you assigned to me… about Zahhak Omar,” Tortan said, lowering his voice.

Thankfully, there was no one else in the hall, so Kazan gestured for him to proceed.

“Did something come out of Pharsion?”

“Yes. Zahhak has planted a spy there. We caught him snooping around the royal palace.”

“As I expected. What was he investigating?”

“After some… questioning, the spy confessed he was looking into events from seven years ago. It seems there was a major scandal in the royal palace back then—one likely tied to Samira Omar. According to the spy, she was murdered by King Antonio.”

Kazan felt a headache brewing. If the spy’s information was accurate, Zahhak likely knew everything there was to know about Samira.

“…Is that all? No other crucial information?” Kazan asked, his voice calm but edged with tension.

“That’s as much as we’ve managed to uncover so far,” Tortan replied. “There was a ciphered document among the spy’s belongings, but… he took his own life during interrogation. We couldn’t extract any further information.”

The day Samira was murdered was also the day Kazan, then a slave, had been killed—or so everyone believed—by Antonio. If the spy had been skilled enough, there was a high chance he had uncovered Kazan’s secret as well.

Kazan took a steadying breath, forcing himself to remain calm as he responded.